Gwynnbleidd ac an Ardaigh
by MortuaryPhysician
Summary: Sheer chance had Ruby falling from the sky from Remnant into Temeria. As for meeting the only person who can help her, one might think that it was destiny. MASSIVE WITCHER 3 SPOILERS! Rated M because Witcher.
1. Chapter 1

Little Red and the White Wolf

Chapter 1

 **Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY or any of the Witcher series.**

* * *

"Hello everyone, this is your captain speaking. We'll be landing back to Beacon in about an hour or so, assuming the skies stay this clear. Hey, we might even get there early."

Team RWBY was on a Bullhead, which was flying over the Emerald Forest. They had just finished their most recent mission - the first one since the breach. "That was the worst mission ever. Of all time," complained Yang. Their mission took them to a swamp, and some of the areas had mud and grimy water that went up to their waists. The waders that they had packed helped, but that didn't stop all sorts of filth from doing a number on her hair. Add the general humidity of the area, and she had the worst-hair day of her life. "No argument there," Weiss added. Her usual white attire was caked in mud and algae. Dodging Grimm attacks in ankle-deep swamp gunk tended to do a number on one's clothes. She was drained, probably having the worst stamina on the team, to the point where she had to use up an immense amount of her aura throughout the mission. "Dibs on the first shower," Blake flatly said. "DIBS ON THE-GAH, DAMMIT!" Yang shouted. "It's official. I hate swamps," Ruby grumbled, her words nearly incomprehensible, with her also being dead tired. Their area of operations had an effect on her maneuvering. The mud did not slow her down, but made her tired much faster. She had great stamina on regular terrain, but in places like swamps, it was a challenge to keep up with everyone else. She was barely hanging on the bar she was holding on to in the Bullhead. "How come nobody ever thought of installing seats in this stupid thing?"

Suddenly, the Bullhead started shaking violently. The speaker on the craft's wall blared. "Uh, folks, this is your captain speaking, we've got some unexpected turbulence. Hold on tight!"

The team complied with the pilot's warning. Ruby, however, was straining to keep a grip on the bar she was holding on to. "Whoa!" she cried out, momentarily losing her grip, but quickly grabbing the bar with her other hand. With her current condition, she won't be hanging on for long. "Guys, I'm slipping!" Her fingers started to let go of the bar, as if they were being plucked off it one by one. "HOLD ON, RUBY!" Blake screamed. Yang made her way to the other side of the vehicle, aiming to grab her sister's hand, but to no avail. Ruby was falling, screaming and flailing out of the dropship. The rest knew that their leader was probably going to be too tired to go for a landing strategy. Blake unholstered Gambol Shroud and tossed it at Ruby in an attempt to wrap the ribbon around her leg. She missed by a fraction, although the turbulence didn't help much, and a look of dread formed on her face. Without a second thought, Yang jumped out after Ruby, using Ember Celica to speed up her fall, crying out, "I'm coming ,sis!" Ruby had already fallen through the treeline by the time Yang was halfway towards the ground. Leaves rustled and branches snapped as Ruby plowed through a tree. She continued falling, and landed on a green portal at the foot of the tree, which disappeared as soon as she touched it. She landed on the ground, face to the sky, unconscious.

Ruby Rose had disappeared.

* * *

A man sat in the middle of a forest,his eyes closed, and his long white hair waving in the wind. He wore a strong leather jacket with pads of chainmail on his shoulders and arms. A hook hung from his belt. Around his neck was a silver medallion of a wolf's head, its fangs bared. On his back were a small crossbow and a pair of swords; one was made of steel, had black leather straps on the grip, a circular pommel with a viper's head depicted within, and a straight crossguard, perpendicular to the blade itself. The second sword had a teardrop-shaped pommel, a grip with solid brown leather, and a V-shaped crossguard. This blade was made of silver, and it glinted brighter than the other in what little light the moon was offering.

This man was a witcher, and none other than Geralt of Rivia.

He felt his medallion vibrate, the trinket having been enchanted with the ability to detect magic or danger. He opened his amber eyes, the cat-like slits that were his pupils quickly scanning the area. He caught a scent in the air.

"Smells like a swamp, but we're in the middle of the woods." he said to himself. "Maybe I should investigate." He got on his horse, a brown mare he named Roach, and rode in the direction of the scent. After a while, Geralt happened upon the source of the scent; a young girl, no older than fifteen, her black hair with red tips strewn on the forest floor. To him, her clothes were strange, for the girl wore a black blouse and skirt, complete with red trimmings. On her torso, she wore a corset, tied together with red laces. He put two fingers on her neck, and felt a pulse. A cloak and hood was clipped on her blouse by means of two cross-shaped pins. Her belt had all sorts of accessories; a silver emblem of what appeared to be a rose, a gray pouch, and several cylindrical pieces of metal of unknown nature to the witcher. A red almost-rectangular flat piece of metal was strapped to her back, its purpose also unknown.

It only took one glance for Geralt to notice that she was alive, albeit unconscious, noticing her chest lift a little from her breathing. He couldn't bring himself to leave her here. Who knows what might get her; wolves, endregas, maybe even a leshen. However, he thought that he couldn't bring her to the nearest village yet, as the villagers might assume that the witcher may have kidnapped her. He took the next best course of action in his opinion, which was to lean her against a tree, check for injuries, and wait until she wakes up. The witcher did so, carrying the girl and leaned her against a tree, and started a fire with some nearby brushwood and a little bit of the Igni sign. The fire quickly ignited from the flames that emanated from his hand. He checked her for injuries. He spotted one on her hand, but to his surprise, it quickly healed up. His medallion slightly vibrated. Geralt raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued. "I think I'll ask her about that later," he mused.

For now, he took a seat in front of the fire, and waited.

* * *

A few hours later, Ruby groaned, clutching her head and torso. Her body ached all over. She heard a crackling of a fire, its warmth covering her aching body like a blanket. She slowly opened her eyes. Her first sight was what looked like a white haired person, but her vision was still blurry. "Weiss?" she quietly squeaked, rubbing her eyes.

"Who?" This voice was masculine. Deep and gravelly.

Ruby quickly crawled back and screamed. Her vision cleared; this white haired person was a man, a long vertical scar over his left eye, and a small horizontal one above his right eyebrow. His catlike eyes stared at her own. "W-who are y-you?" she nervously stammered. The man responded, "Someone who doesn't want to hurt you, now calm down. What's your name?" "Ruby. Nice to meet you," she responded with a smile. He walked over to his horse and took out a jug and some bread, and offered it to her. Ruby took the bread she was offered and bit into it. She gasped. "Are you a Huntsman?" she asked excitedly. "Something of the sort," he answered.

She quickly got up, giddy with excitement. "CanIhaveyourautograph?Ooh,showmeyourweapons,pleasepleaseplease?" she asked.

Geralt was still confused. He shook it off. "Well, let's go get you home. Lindenvale is a fair ride from here." He hopped on Roach and waved at the girl, urging her to do the same.

"Vale? The Emerald Forest is pretty far from Vale. Just drop me off at Beacon," she responded with a smile as she got on the horse from its right. Her left leg touched some fur. "Vale? Beacon? What are you talking about?" asked Geralt. At the same time, Ruby looked at what was touching her leg. Her silver eyes widened as they laid upon the sight of a severed griffin's head bound in rope; one of its eyesockets having been impaled on a hook. She let out a terrified shriek and hopped off Roach.

Geralt snapped his gaze on Ruby. "What? What's wrong?" Ruby shakily pointed at the severed head. "I-i-is that a g-g-griffin?" Geralt looked at his trophy and nodded. "What? Never seen a griffin before?" Ruby's jaw dropped.

"Um...uh..."

"What is it?"

"What kingdom are we in?"

"You're joking, right?"

The girl shook her head. "Answer me," she stated in a hollow tone.

"Temeria. Why?"

Ruby said nothing, her hands shaking. She fell to her knees, tears welling up in her eyes. Her team, her sister, they all probably think she was missing, or worse. She remembered when her father more or less shut down when her own mother died. With her missing, he might relapse, maybe even get worse. Yang might even do the same. Will she ever see them again? Will they be okay?

"Why are you crying?" Geralt asked, straightfaced. Ruby tried to respond between sobs. "Y-you're n-*hic*not *sniff*gonna be-*hic*believe me."

The witcher crossed his arms. "Try me." Ruby tried to calm down, and she began to explain her current situation.

* * *

"You must *sniff* think I-I'm cra*hic*crazy, don't you?"

"I believe you."

Ruby could not believe her ears. "Wha?"

Geralt, with his seemingly eternally straight face, repeated. "I believe you."

"Really?!" Ruby smiled a little, a tiny sparkle on her silver eyes. Geralt spoke again. "I already know travel between worlds is possible, and I know just the person to help you." Ruby's energy instantly replenished, swiftly picking herself up and dusting herself off. "What are we waiting for then? Let's go!" she happily shouted, sprinting and hopping on Roach's back. Geralt chuckled a little as he got on Roach, and set off to Lindenvale.

* * *

Geralt decided to cut through the woods on their way to the village. "You never told me your name," Ruby said.

"Geralt."

"What's with your swords?"

"What about them?"

"Taking one look at it, they're made to be held with two hands, and the blades are too long to be dual wielded effectively...so...why do you have two?"

"And you got that from one glance?" Geralt responded, an eyebrow raised.

"Yeah...I...uh...like weapons..." she muttered.

Suddenly, Roach started whinnying. To their right were a small group of nekkers; little grey humanoid monsters with nothing but loincloths, with webbed feet and claws on their hands. Geralt got off Roach and ordered Ruby to stay back. "What? But I can help you! I can fight!" she protested. Geralt ignored her and drew his silver sword. He shaped his fingers in a strange position, casting the Quen sign. A little orange light started orbiting his body. The three nekkers screeched at him and began to attack. One lunged at Geralt, but he dodged with a pirouette and slashed its back. He turned his attention to the second one which was a little ways from the third. The witcher hopped and spun counterclockwise, slashing the beast diagonally from its right shoulder to the hip, and he followed it up with a hard horizontal slash across its chest. The first one pounced at Geralt from behind...

*BANG*

Geralt rolled away from the second nekker and turned his face to the left, looking for the source of what sounded like an explosion. The nekker lay dead, a hole the size of a large marble on its temple. His eyes fell upon Ruby, the red metal object in her hand, now extended, smoking on one end. Geralt recognized what looked like a small spyglass mounted on top of it. "I told you, Geralt," Ruby announced, as she pulled some mechanism on its side back and forth. She twirled the device, and it transformed into a large scythe almost two to three times her own size. "I can do this." Geralt had a lot of questions, but now wasn't the time for that. "Look out!" she cried, and as Geralt faced forward, the second nekker pounced at him. Its claws touched Geralt, and a blast of orange energy shaped like a dome around him exploded, knocking the creature back, leaving him unscathed. His focus now on the nekker once more, Geralt spun to the nekker's left counterclockwise and slashed its side. He followed this up with a horizontal slash to its face. He positioned his fingers to cast the Axii sign, and a yellow light shone in front of Geralt. The nekker appeared to be in a trance, as its head was bowed down. Geralt spun towards it, sword raised above his head with its blade parallel to the ground, and slashed at the beast's shoulder. He followed this up with a series of spins and slashes, until finally he stabbed it in the chest, ending its life. He set his sights on the third nekker, only to find Ruby running towards it.

She caught the nekker on her scythe, its chest on the blade. She immediately spun once and swung her scythe in a golf swing and set the nekker flying upwards. The girl pointed the barrel on the ground and fired. The nekker flailed in mid-air as Ruby caught up to it. The nekker received a flurry of slashes before Ruby sent it crashing towards the ground. As Ruby landed, the nekker quickly recovered, and leapt at Ruby. At that moment, Geralt casted the Aard sign at it, and an unseen force pushed the nekker off course, sending it flying back. Ruby pulled the bolt back and forth on the rifle and took this chance, and used her semblance to charge at the ogroid, catching its neck on her blade this time. Ruby swung her scythe in a 180 degree arc facing Geralt. She pulled the trigger, the recoil and her own strength decapitating it.

* * *

"So, would you care to explain?" Geralt asked as he sheathed his sword.

"Explain what?" she responded, putting her scythe away.

"How a young girl such as yourself learn how to fight like that, and what that scythe of yours is?"

"How about we trade? My explanation for some information about you." Geralt shrugged his shoulders, and responded "Why not."

"I'm a Huntress. Well, Huntress-in-training. My job is to defend people from the creatures of Grimm."

"Grimm?" Geralt responded.

"Pitch black monsters, bones on their faces that look like masks. There's a lot of species, but I'm not going to bother going through them all. This world doesn't have them here, right?"

"No. Definitely not. Looks like our professions might not be so different after all."

"Really? What do you do, Geralt?" Ruby asked, interest shining in her eyes.

"I'm a witcher. A travelling professional monster slayer. When people are being harassed by creatures like those nekkers," he said, pointing to the fresh corpses, "they look for one."

"Oh, so you protect people from monsters too?"

"For the right price."

"What? You don't get paid by the kingdoms?"

"No. Witchers are independent and maintain neutrality, especially with politics. And they don't work for free."

"So you're basically freelance?" Ruby asked, her thumb and index finger on her chin.

"Basically, yes."

"So how do you explain that orange force field and the yellow thing you used on that nekker? You don't have semblances in this world, right?"

"No. But instead, we have magic."

Ruby squealed, her muscles tense with excitement. "Ohmygoshyouguyshavemagic?!CanIlearnsomepleasepleaseplease?Canyouteachmespellsprettyplease?!"

"No."

"Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease?" Ruby pleaded, putting on her puppy dog eyes and pouted, her lower lip quivering. A small tear started to form in the corner of her eye, and for the coup de grace, a soft whimpering.

Geralt met her gaze with an unamused expression. "No. Besides, only a few people and witchers can learn magic anyway."

"Aww," Ruby whined, her mouth curved into a frown.

"Mages can cast some very complex spells, but that usually doesn't cut it for witchers. What we use are Signs. Simple spells that are quicker and easier to cast, without having to sheathe our swords. They are mere tricks compared to what a mage can do, though. We also know alchemy, which we use to mix potions, make bombs, and blend blade oils."

"That's so cool," Ruby whispered amazedly. "Can you teach me alchemy stuff?"

Geralt considered this idea for a while. "Maybe another time. Your turn. Explain your weapon," he responded, crossing his arms.

Ruby was giddy with excitement. It was time to show off her baby. She unfolded Crescent Rose into its scythe form. "This is Crescent Rose!" she declared, stroking its handle like one would with a cat.

"A scythe."

"It's also a fully customizeable, high impact sniper rifle."

"A what?"

"It's also a gun."

Both parties were silent for a minute. Geralt had the most confused expression he can muster on his face. "A what?"

"'A what?!' WHAT DO YOU MEAN, 'A WHAT?' DON'T YOU KNOW WHAT A GUN IS?!" Ruby exclaimed, shocked.

Geralt tilted his head to the side. "What's a gun?"

"WHAAAAAAT?!" Ruby cried out, a pained expression on her face. "'WHAT'S A GUN?' JEEZ, DID I GO BACK IN TIME OR SOMETHING? WHAT YEAR IS THIS?!"

Geralt flatly responded. "1272."

Ruby's pained expression on her face grew worse, almost as if her heart was just stopped right then and there.

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?! OH NO I HAVE TO FIND THOSE CASES!"

"What?"

Taking a moment to calm down, she took a series of deep breaths. "Okay. I guess the easiest way to explain a a gun to you is..." She pondered for a second. "You know that crossbow on your back?"

"Uh huh?"

She took a bullet from her belt. "Guns are sort of like that. You see this thing here? This is a bullet. There are many different calibers, which I guess means different powered arrowheads...sort of...and not all of them are the same size..." Geralt remained silent. "Anyway," she continued, and pointed at the sharp end. "This is the bullet itself. This is what gets shot out of a gun."

"So...this whole thing gets shot out of the gun?"

"Nope. Just this pointy part. It's essentially the arrowhead of the bolt, except this doesn't need a shaft."

"Then how does it fly, let alone fly thousands of times faster than an arrow?"

Ruby was surprised. "How did you know it was that much faster than an arrow?"

"Simple. I looked at it."

"What? You can do that?! CanyouteachmepleaseIwannadothattoo!"

"No. Witchers undergo...enhancements...that let us do that." Geralt responded, a darker tone on the word 'enhancements.'

"O-oh," Ruby responded, and they were silent for another minute. "Anywho! The bullet flies thousands of times faster than the arrow is because of what's inside of this," she declared, pointing to the cylindrical portion of the bullet. "This is the case. Inside of it is Dust, which I won't explain because I don't really use it, and no, it is not dirt," Ruby stated as Geralt seemed like he was about to comment on that. "There's a bunch of explosive material in this that blows up when the firing pin, which is sort of like a crossbow's string, hits the primer," she said, pointing to the bottom of the bullet. "The explosion launches the bullet, and the case is ejected from the gun. How it's ejected depends on the gun. In my case, it's like this." She pulled the bolt back and ejected a bullet. She then took the magazine off, and showed it to Geralt. "This is a magazine. It stores all my bullets before I need to reload." She took the two bullets she had in her hand and placed them inside the magazine. She then put the magazine back in the receiver and chambered a bullet. She put the scythe away. "Questions?"

"This spyglass on your gun, is that for shooting from long distances?"

Ruby smiled. "So you know what a sniper is, then?"

"Yes."

"Oh, and the technology on Remnant lets us make weapons that can transform into other things." She then began listing off examples of transforming weapons that she has seen and read about.

"I...did not understand what most of those are, but okay. If you ask me, those guns of yours almost make the job too easy." He paused for a moment. "Give me one of those bullets."

"Why? It's not like you can use it anyway."

"Trust me." Ruby complied and handed her new companion a bullet. Geralt stared at the bullet, taking note of every detail in his mind. He shifted his attention to the ground and focused his senses. He found both the cases with ease, which he then picked up and gave to Ruby. She was about to speak up, but Geralt responded, almost as if he read her mind, "Heightened senses. Witcher trait."

"Your turn. Why are two two-handed swords necessary?"

"Technically, our swords are forged so that we can have one hand free to cast Signs."

"So did you forge your own weapons too?"

"Not me necessarily, but yes...wait. What do you mean by 'too?'"

"I made Crescent Rose myself!" Ruby declared proudly, her hands on her hips.

"I'm having a hard time believing that."

"No really, I did! I designed and forged her myself!"

"A lass like you making weapons like the ones you have...I get the feeling you'll bankrupt every blacksmith in Velen."

Ruby was a bit flattered by the comment, but she continued. "Anyway, why do you carry two swords?"

"One is for monsters."

Ruby tugged at her collar nervously. "W-what's the other one for?"

Geralt took a minute to think. "Beasts," he finally responded.

Ruby sighed in relief and smiled. "Oh. Okay then. Should we go to that village you were talking about then?"

"Let's."

The pair walked up to Roach and hopped on. Geralt looked at Ruby, and said, "Wait."

"What is it, Geralt?"

"If you're going to be travelling with me, you're going to need a silver blade."

The girl tilted her head to the side. "Why?"

"A lot of the creatures here like those nekkers can't stand silver. Steel is not as effective."

"Okay. I can deal with that. I think I can work in a silver blade for Crescent Rose. Just get me to a good forge and I'm set!"

Geralt started thinking as they galloped off. He recalled the blacksmith in Lindenvale mentioning something about a master blacksmith in Novigrad. He should be able to find him soon enough. For now, however, Ruby probably has to settle for a farmer's sickle for a silver blade. A temporary solution, but it'll work. Probably.

* * *

 **A/N: I was thinking of doing this on my first playthrough of Witcher 3. It was hard to resist. Now, here I am, and I am basing this fic on my second playthrough. Yes, I do dare to put dear, sweet, innocent little Ruby into the harsh world of The Witcher.**

 **AND FOR THE FIRST TIME, IN THE HISTORY OF RWBY FANFICTION, RUBY'S PUPPY DOG EYES DO NOT WORK! I swear to God, that pouty face is more effective than the Axii sign, AND you don't get attacked for using it! In my opinion, her puppy dog eyes are the equivalent of the Witcher 2 Axii conversation options, except it has a 100% chance of success.**

 **As for the lack of updates on Rangers of Remnant, that was a very dangerous mix of procrastination, writer's block, general laziness, and life shit. Sorry about that, folks. I'm halfway through finishing Chapter 5, and I might start actively writing again once exam week is over.**

 **As always, R &R, constrictive criticism is always welcome.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

 **Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY or The Witcher games or books.**

* * *

The two arrived in Lindenvale without any further trouble. Geralt tied up his mare to a fence in front of the inn. He took assorted materials ranging from silver ores to leather straps from Roach's saddlebags, and a pouch of crowns from his pocket and handed them to Ruby. "Take these, find the blacksmith, get the silver smelted and get yourself a scythe. I'm going to the inn to talk to a client." Ruby took all the components and the pouch, and with a nod, she set off.

After a few minutes of searching, Ruby found the blacksmith. "Hello, young lass. How can I help you?" the blacksmith asked. Ruby smiled and responded, "Can you smelt these and make a scythe out of it? Something to my specifications?" she asked, showing him the silver and other materials. "Of course. That will be 15 crowns." Ruby took the pouch, and after counting out 15 coins, she paid the blacksmith. "And these specifications of yours, could you enlighten me?" The girl complied, pointing out specifics like shaft and blade length. "Okay," the blacksmith said, "come back in a few hours and I'll be done with your scythe. I must say, you're probably the fanciest farmer or farmhand in the Continent, wanting a silver scythe like that." "Okay," she nodded, and went to go find Geralt.

* * *

"So can we meet the guy who'll be getting me home?" she asked her new companion. The two were seated at a table in the Lindenvale inn while they waited for the silver scythe to be hunters were having breakfast, Geralt having a ham sandwich, and Ruby with bacon, eggs and some strawberries.

"No."

"No? Why?"

"We're going to have to find her first. I have a lead on her location already. We'll go to a village called Heatherton as soon as that blacksmith finishes your silver scythe." Silence followed for a few more minute, except Ruby was gobbling up her food. Geralt then spoke up. "What made you decide to be a huntress?"

Ruby looked up from her plate. "Whup?" she asked, her mouth still full of food.

"What made you to become a huntress?" Geralt repeated. Ruby swallowed her food. "Oh. I wanna help people, simple as that. My sister used to read to me when I was little, and I always wanted to be like the heroes in the books," she replied happily. "As long as we're trading stories, what made you choose to become a witcher?"

"I didn't choose to become a witcher. Not many of us do."

"Is being a witcher a family thing, or..."

"No. Witchers are taken." Ruby tilted her head sideways. "What do you mean?"

"There is this law that we can incite when a client has no means of paying us called the Law of Surprise. When we incite this law, we either ask for the first thing that greets the client, or for something the client did not expect to see when they get home. Usually, that means unexpected children. Pregnancies. We also used to take in orphans"

"Then how come you've got catlike eyes, then? Those kids are all human, right?"

"Right. All witchers have eyes like mine. We undergo mutations that enhances our overall abilities. Strength, speed, reaction time, even slightly enhanced vision in the dark, thanks to the eyes."

Ruby's excitement came over her. "That'ssoawesomecanIgetthosemutationstoo?!" she excitedly cried.

"No."

"Why not?" she whined.

"The mutations are dangerous."

"That didn't stop you," she retorted.

Geralt squeezed his fist. He knew he had to calm down, after all, she doesn't know what they had to go through, and she seemed to be an innocent girl. Thankfully, the mutations and the training made it easy. With a deep sigh, Geralt responded. "The mutations we undergo is a mixture of potions and magic. There's no one around to perform the rituals anymore. Even with that, the potions themselves are toxic, and taking them will be the worst pain that any witcher can physically undergo. Sure, it leaves us with superhuman ability, immense tolerance to toxins, and immunity to almost every disease, but the cost of that is the intense pain of the process and sterility. If you don't know what that means, it means witchers are incapable of having children. And finally, and possibly the biggest reason why, not every candidate who undergoes the procedure survives. Only three, four boys at most, and that in on itself is slim, survive."

Ruby was in shock, her mouth agape. "I'm sorry," she stuttered out.

"It's fine. There was no way you could've known."

The hunters resumed eating in silence. Ruby spoke up again. "So what do people do for fun around here?"

A short "hm" was Geralt's response. "What do your people usually do?"

"We actually have a lot of things that cure our boredom. We could watch movies..."

"Um...what's a movie?"

Ruby facepalmed. How could she forget that she was in a less technologically advanced world? "Uhh...it's basically a play, but better."

"How?"

"Movies can have explosions, monsters, or anything, really. With this thing we call 'animation,' we can make things that don't exist seem life-like in movies."

Geralt nodded in slight understanding. "Surely you have better things to do than watch plays."

Ruby's face lit up. "Oh wait, I still have my Scroll!" she exclaimed as she pulled out the device from one of the many hidden pockets of her combat skirt. She stretched the two solid components out, displaying the interface. Geralt's expression was one of child-like curiosity, his eyes staring at the screen. "This is my Scroll," Ruby began to explain. "It handles stuff like mission objectives and my Aura levels. It can also send messages to other people with Scrolls no matter where they are. I can even talk to them with my own voice if I knew their contact information."

"Sort of like a megascope then?"

"What's a megascope?"

"Something that mages use in order to contact each other. Three stands with crystals are arranged in a triangle, and it shows the images of the callers on their own megascopes."

"So you have video chat here?"

"Whatever that is, yes." Geralt then pointed to a small lens on the back of the Scroll and asked, "What's this?"

"That's a camera. It's for taking a portrait of something in an instant, like this," she said as she took a picture of Geralt. She showed him the picture. Geralt could only look on in amazement. "It can also do this," she added, as she started the recording function. "Say something, Geralt."

Geralt was confused, but complied. "Something."

"Very funny," Ruby sarcastically stated. "Now, watch this." She showed the screen to him once more, and pressed the playback button. Geralt stared in wonder as the image of himself repeated the word "Something" to him. It felt surreal. "It can do a whole bunch of other stuff, like play games on it if I wanted to, but this thing runs on a power cell, and I have no way of charging it. You know what a power cell is, right?"

"Yes."

"Which brings me back to my original question: what do you do for fun?"

"We could play dice poker, but neither of us don't have dice. How about arm wrestling?"

Ruby sighed in disbelief, an unamused look on her face. "Really? You wanna arm wrestle an innocent 15 year old girl?"

"Point taken." Geralt started thinking. "How about Gwent? I just recently got into it, so we're fairly evenly matched."

"What's Gwent?"

Geralt began explaining the basics of the card game. Ruby was intrigued. "Okay, I wanna play, but where are we gonna get a deck?"

"Innkeep! A starter Gwent deck for the lass!" Geralt called out.

"Which faction?" the innkeeper replied.

Ruby took a minute to think. "Northern Realms!" she answered.

A minute later, the innkeeper came back with a deck. "That'll be 27 crowns." Geralt handed the innkeeper the money, then he returned to the bar. "Shall we?" Geralt asked. A smile crept up on Ruby's face. "Let's."

The pair played the game for the rest of their time at the inn.

* * *

"You know, if we were playing for money with a five crown ante, you'd owe me five crowns. Not bad," Geralt commented.

"That's because you kept drawing Stennis," Ruby replied. "You have the most unbelievable luck."

"Says the one who kept drawing the Dun Banner Medic..."

It was almost noon, and the two have been playing and taking lunch at the same time. "That scythe should be done by now," Ruby stated.

"Go pick it up, then. I'll start getting ready to go," he commanded.

Ruby skipped over to the blacksmith's, the craftsman greeting her as she arrived. "Here's your scythe, girlie. May it reap you much wheat."

Ruby chuckled. 'It's not gonna be wheat I'll be reaping,' she thought to herself.

The scythe itself was a simple one, similar to what any old farmer would use, except it was the same size as Crescent Rose, and the shaft was foldable for easy storage. It was accompanied with a carrying belt, with a holster just for it. It'll have to do until she could find a good forge to add silver to Crescent Rose. On that note, Geralt rode up to her on Roach, and she leapt on. The pair proceeded to ride to Heatherton.

"I should teach you something," Geralt stated as they rode.

"Huh?"

"You said you were in training, right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Well we wouldn't want you to miss a lot. We have to stay sharp in our line of work, as you probably already know."

Ruby gasped excitedly. "Doesthismeanyouregonnateachmethoseawesomespinnywitchermoves?!"

Geralt chuckled. He hasn't seen excitement like this since he started combat training with Ciri. In a way, Ruby almost reminded him of her when she was younger. "I don't know if it'll work with scythes, but we'll see. I'm also going to be teaching you more practical skills, like tracking."

"Cool!"

"What does temperature have to do with this?"

Ruby laughed, almost falling off Roach. "Cool also means awesome."

"I can't see how."

* * *

Ruby could not believe her eyes when she saw Heatherton. from the road. "Geralt, what month is it?" she asked the witcher.

"It's May. You're wondering about the frost and the mist, aren't you?" Ruby nodded nervously.

"We'll see soon enough." The riders continued on.

Heatherton was almost empty. Even though it was in the middle of summer, the village was blanketed in a thick mist. Snow lay on the ground and on the thatch rooves on the huts. Geralt heard a growling sound. Dogs.

"Ruby, ready your steel scythe. I hear dogs. Probably rabid," he ordered as he got off Roach and drew his steel sword. She obeyed, unfolding Crescent Rose to its scythe form. She followed Geralt, who was following the sound of the dogs, and they spotted three of them surrounding a peasant waving a torch. Geralt and Ruby quickly disposed of the dogs. The man with the torch shouted at them as he waved it. "Begone! Leave me be, whoever you is! Get away!" He stumbled back, trying to crawl away from Geralt and Ruby. "Calm down, it's over," Geralt said as he casted the Axii sign on him. "We don't want to hurt you, mister," Ruby quietly added. The peasant picked himself up, clutching his head. "Aye, it's over...all's past, never to be restored. I'll not forget that ever," he muttered, enough for the hunters to hear. He walked past them and sat on a bench, his head bowed down.. "Looking for a man named Hendrik. Supposed to live in this village," Geralt stated.

"Aye, he did. No longer. They nabbed 'im in that hut. If you'd o' heard the cries, sir...if you'd o' heard how a man can scream...how he can suffer..."

"Tell me what happened here, step by step."

The peasant described what had happened in the quiet village. How the air grew colder, how the Wild Hunt's riders arrived, how they found Hendrik and tortured him, how they razed the town and murdered the villagers. Ruby's eyes widened in shock over the story.

"Great," Geralt sighed. The man continued. "Weren't here long, the terrors. Yet the village froze like the heart of winter," he whimpered.

"You in that hut when they rode off?" Geralt asked.

"No, and I'll not set foot there. Never."

"Farewell, and peace of mind to you." With that, Geralt turned to the hut where Hendrik supposedly lived.

"What could have done all this?" Ruby asked, her voice hollowed in fear.

"The Wild Hunt. A group of specters, said to be an omen of misfortune and death."

"What could they have possibly wanted with Hendrik?"

"Same thing we're here for. We're looking for the person who can send you home. Her name is Ciri. Hendrik supposedly had information on her whereabouts, but the Wild Hunt beat us to him. Now come on, we have to check out his hut."

"What do they want with Ciri?"

"In short, they want her power. The same power we need to get you home. That's what most people want with her these days."

Geralt and Ruby walked over to the late Hendrik's shack. As they neared the entrance, they were assaulted by the stench of blood. The hunters walked in, and there on the floor lay Hendrik, his corpse grey and bathed in his own blood. Ruby started dry heaving, and soon enough, ran outside and emptied her stomach. Geralt called out to her, "You alright back there?"

Silence. Geralt spoke again. "Get in here. You're going to have to get used to this sight, and you're going to see worse. Might as well get you used to it early."

"Okay," she squeaked as she entered. Geralt's first thought was on the man's boots; after all, it was a common place to hide something. He tore the boots off the stiff, and found a key inside. 'Where would this key fit,' he thought to himself, as Ruby paced around the room. She felt a draft brush her leg. "Hey Geralt, you might wanna take a look at this," she called out as she moved the fur rug she had stepped on, revealing a trap door. "Nice find," Geralt commented. On that note, the two descended into the cellar.

Ruby noticed a poster on a post, a knife keeping it in place. It had a drawing of a girl on it. "Hey Geralt, what does this say?" she asked, pointing at the poster.

"A huntress-in-training, yet you don't know how to read?" Geralt responded.

"I can read!"

"Then why ask me?"

"Our alphabets are different," she replied, taking out her scroll. She decided on opening her message folder and showed it to him, considering Geralt probably wouldn't be able to read them.

"Well, forget the training, I have to teach you to read first."

"Ugh, fine," she begrudgingly complained. Geralt's lesson in literacy began, using some of the books he still had, and they were in that candlelit basement for an hour to teach her how to read.

* * *

"Missing. Tamara Strenger, daughter of the Bloody Baron. Presumed kidnapped. Hearty reward for whoever finds her or brings her in," Ruby read aloud.

"That's pretty good for someone who just learned the letters just an hour ago."

"Well, it helps that the only real difference between our langages are what letters we use for our alphabets."

"Alright, let's search this basement," Geralt ordered. Ruby walked in, and found an open chest. "Hey! I found a whole bunch of crowns in here!" she cried out.

"Keep it. He won't be needing it anyway. Now why would he leave his valuables out here in the open?" Geralt wondered.

"You're right. It's almost like he was basically displaying it," Ruby responded as she pocketed the money. Geralt started looking around the room some more, when his attention was caught on the candlestick on the wall. A hidden switch was under the shelf of the candle. A click came from the bookshelf, and it swung open. "Cool," Ruby whispered in amazement. She approached the uncovered compartment, an open chest containing a book inside. "Hey Geralt, check this out," she hollered. She started reading the book out loud. "Grain payments...charcoal..."

"It's a ledger," Geralt announced. "Hendrik was masquerading as a merchant."

"Sheesh, you make him sound like he's a spy," Ruby chuckled.

"That's because he was," Geralt reaffirmed. "Let me see that ledger."

"Ohmygoshhewasaspy?!" was her response as she handed him the book.

Geralt scanned the pages, looking for any hints. He found notes in the ledger, with a few interesting headings, and began to read. A few minutes passed, and Geralt snapped the book closed. "So, what did it say?" Ruby asked in an inquisitive tone.

"All he knew was that Ciri was spotted in Novigrad, a nearby city, and an archipelago to the west called Skellige. She also managed to associate with the Bloody Baron in Crow's Perch, and fought with a witch in a swamp. Says here we should ask the peasants at Midcopse about it."

"Can we not go to the swamp? I haaaaaaaate swamps," Ruby groaned.

"Yeah, and I hate portals, but I always seem to find myself taking them," Geralt retorted. "Let's go."

Gerald and Ruby climbed on Roach and rode off, leaving Heatherton behind them.

* * *

They arrived at a crossroads. "So, do either of these paths lead to Crow's Perch or Midcopse?" Ruby asked.

"If the rumours are correct, Crow's Perch sound be to the east. We're not heading that way right now, though," Geralt replied.

A surprised expression worked its way on Ruby's face. "What?! Why?!"

"Look, I want to find Ciri as much as you do, but simply put, I need to get paid. My pockets aren't exactly lined right now, especially since I'm paying for two," Geralt flatly answered. "Besides, I think you might like this. We're going to go help find someone's wife."

* * *

 **A/N: There we are. Next chapter, there will be a decision to make. Ah, the magic of moral grey areas.**

 **Oh, and as a little tidbit, I'm a stickler for authenticity, so I'll be basing everything from the games and books as much as I can. Even all the way down to question mark hunting in Witcher 3.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

 **Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY or the Witcher series.**

* * *

Geralt decided to cut through the woods to Blackbough. They arrived with no hassle. He overheard a man in front of a house as they rode up the path. "...Hanna." Geralt hopped off, Ruby right behind him, and approached the man.

"Looking for a hunter named Niellen," Geralt told the man.

He responded, "Found him. What do you want?"

Ruby piped up. "We're here to help you look for your wife." Geralt's turn to speak came up. "Where did you last see her?"

"Five days past, 'fore dawn. Were on my way out to hunt, she were asleep. I come back, found no sign of her," Niellen asnwered.

"Maybe she went to the neighbouring village, forgot to tell you?" Geralt asked. Just as he asked that question, a woman came out the door of the house that Niellen was standing in front of. "No, my sister were never gone this long before," she said.

"Did you try looking for her?" Ruby asked.

The woman replied, "Asked 'round the village, none saw 'er go. She must've left when they were still sleepin'...Told her time and again not to wander off on her own. She never listened."

"I mustered some menfolk to scour the woods. Nothin'," Niellen added.

"We'll look in the woods, you might've missed something," Geralt stated.

"Did she have any friends?" Ruby questioned.

"Hanna kept-keeps- to herself mostly. Watches the blacksmith's young'uns atimes. And in the village, Glenna, the butcher's wife, she likes her best," the woman commented.

"Great. We'll try to find her," Ruby told them with a smile.

"No promises," Geralt added, and the two walked away.

"So, who do we ask first?" Ruby questioned.

"I think I want to go to the blacksmith first."

"Okay, let's go then."

The two found the blacksmith with no problem. The blacksmith was hammering away on his anvil, his two children, a boy and a girl, sat behind him. Their eyes caught the sight of Geralt and Ruby. "Wow! My dad used to forge swords like yours. And is that a scythe on your back, miss? Can I touch them?" the boy asked.

"It's sharp," Geralt responded. "Better not."

"We need to talk to your dad," Ruby declared. The man turned around. "I forged swords once," he told Geralt. "Now it's scythes and hoes. For good arms, you'll need to go to Novigrad."

Ruby's eyes lit up at the mention of arms. "Ooh, can we go to Novigrad, Geralt? Huh? Can we?" she asked excitedly.

"We'll go there soon enough," he responded. "Anyway, we wanted to ask you about Hanna. Heard she looked after your children.

The little girl spoke up. "Aunt Hanna? Do you know where she is?"

"No, that's why we're here. She maybe tell you where she was going? Or anything else?" Geralt asked. The daughter responded once more. "Hmm...she said turnips were healthy and we ought to eat 'em." Ruby giggled softly. The son then spoke up. "I saw her go to the forest! With another lady! It was dawn, almost - I'd gone out so I wouldn't wet the pallet."

"The forest? She's done for," the blacksmith expressed grimly.

"Why?" Ruby asked.

"A huge pack roams the area. None from the village dares go in the forest. Niellen's the only one not afeared, but then he's a hunter..."

"Did you see the other woman? Did you recognize her?" Ruby asked the son. He responded, "No, she walked in front of Aunt Hanna; I couldn't see."

"Before I go, let me look at your stock," Geralt demanded. The blacksmith complied, and two pieces of parchment caught Geralt's eye. They looked like maps. "I'll take that off your hands," he said, gesturing to the paper. "Thirty crowns," the blacksmith replied. Geralt handed him the money, and looked at the map.

"What'cha got there, Geralt?" Ruby asked. The witcher handed her the map. "See for yourself."

Ruby scanned the paper. "What's this about a cat's head?"

"It's about the Cat witcher school. I think they're worth looking into another time," he responded, and she returned the map. "Okay, let's go talk to the butcher's wife."

After some asking around, the pair finally found Glenna, plucking feathers off buckets of chickens. "Greetings. You Glenna?" Geralt asked.

"Aye. But gristle and marrow's all I'm willing to sell, and you'll have to wait till I'm done carving it," Glenna responded.

"Wanted to talk to you about Hanna. Hear you were friendly."

"She'd come by atimes, we'd talk."

"She seem strange lately? Any idea where she might've gone?"

"Hmm...strange? No, a cheerful soul, always."

"If I'm to judge, the wolves got her. Been howlin' the nights through, lately. Even the Baron's men're afeared to come by. Hanna must've gone to the wood, to gather mushrooms, maybe. Strayed too deep, and the howlers got her."

"Thanks, farewell." And on that note, they left Glenna to her business. Geralt spotted a merchant, and asked him to show his stock. Another one of those maps were there. Geralt decided to buy it. "What did you get this time?" Ruby asked as Geralt unfurled the map. "Hm."

"What? What is it?"

"The maps I've found, they're witcher caches, specifically those of the Cat and the Wolf schools. Those usually mean crafting schematics."

"For what?"

"Equipment. Armor and swords."

"What are we waiting for then?! Let's go! For the weapons!" Ruby cheered, pointing at nowhere.

"These are pretty far away. Maybe later."

"I'll hold you to that. Anyway, something seems weird about this. I'm still wondering about that lady the kid saw Hanna with."

"Well, now's a good a time as any to go to the woods." And go to the woods they did.

* * *

After some wandering in the night, Geralt's ears picked up snarls and growls. He drew his steel sword, Ruby following suit with Crescent Rose. Geralt headed in the direction of the noise, Ruby tailing behind him. A pack of wolves, which they promptly disposed of.

"Witcher?"

Geralt and Ruby turned around, quickly folding Crescent Rose, and Geralt sheathing his sword. It was that woman who was with Niellen at the house.

"What're you doing here?" Geralt asked. "You shouldn't be in the forest alone."

"I came to tell you...you needn't look for Hanna. She'd 'ave returned long past if were she alive."

Ruby and Geralt glanced at each other. They mentally agreed that something seemed off. The woman continued. "I'll pay you twice Niellen's pledge - just tell the man that his Hanna's dead."

"But don't you want to know what happened to you sister?" Ruby asked. "I know I would..."

"I've no illusions, dear. In Velen, you're gone as long as she's been, you don't come back. Hanna's dead for certain. Niellen ought to accept his loss, move on with his life."

"Nope. I think he deserves some closure," Ruby answered almost immediately.

"I'm not the type to leave jobs undone. Sorry."

The woman's expression changed to one of scorn. "Folks speak true about you witchers - you're heartless beasts," she spat, and stormed off. "Let's move on," Geralt said. He examined the area the wolves were hanging around. A corpse, torn to pieces, lay in front of him. Ruby caught up, and the sight gave her a shock. "Is...is that...?"

"Probably."

A meter away from the corpse, a dog's disemboweled corpse lay in a pool of blood. Ruby gasped. "Who could've done this?"

"Whatever it was, it's not human. Take a look. Those cuts were made by long claws. The flesh is torn clean off." Right next to the dog's carcass, Geralt spotted claw marks on the ground. Deep claw marks. He looked around some more, and found tracks next to a rock, also covered in claw marks. His suspicions were confirmed. "Ruby, we've got to be very careful now."

"What is it?"

"We are dealing with a werewolf."

Ruby's breath shallowed. She had never fought a werewolf before; she just thought they were just stories from the fairytales. Geralt moved up ahead. He found a tuft of fur at arm's length from the rock. Geralt sniffed it, and almost gagged a little. Clearly, whatever shedded it hasn't bathed in a while. He walked off, following the stench of that fur. Ruby followed him as closely as she could without bothering him. She followed his trail a little further, then he abruptly stopped. A man's clothes laid on the forest floor. He walked a little further, and found a trail of more clothes, leading towards a hut. The fur hung on one of the walls suggested that this place was a hunter's quarters. Geralt motioned Ruby to get inside as he entered. The two searched the place, until Geralt found a few sheets of paper on the floor in the bedroom. "I found something," he called out, and started reading.

"What is it?"

"Our werewolf took precautions whenever it was time for him to transform. Either way, he could still be dangerous. Judging from these notes, he can't control himself when he's in his werewolf form. Come on, we have to find him." They stepped out of the house and searched the area. Ruby found some blood on the ground on the side of the house. She hollered for Geralt, and he inspected the stains. "Looks like he was dragged," Ruby commented.

"You're right. The blood's barely dried yet. Let's go." The two then followed the bloodstains, leading to a door under the house. Geralt took out a bottle of Cat and downed it. Ruby took out a head lamp, also hidden in one of the pockets of her skirt, turned it on, and wore it on her head. Geralt casted the sign of Aard on the door, promptly breaking it down. Without a word, the two descended into the newly found cavern.

* * *

The pair turned the corner, and it was empty. "The werewolf is most likely going to be here after dark. It's the middle of the day, so for now, we should search the place," Geralt stated. With a nod from Ruby, the two combed the cave. All they found were a bunch of herbs and crafting materials, which Geralt took and saved for later. "Hey Geralt," Ruby called out.

"What is it?"

"How are werewolves...created, for lack of a better word?"

"Lycanthropy is a curse."

"Can we break it?"

"Not really."

"What?! Isn't there any other way?!" Ruby cried out.

"There are remedies out there, but they don't work. Trust me, I've seen it all," Geralt responded, remembering when he tried to break a lycanthropy curse from Vincent Meis, an old Viziman guard captain. Granted, he broke the curse with true love, but what are the odds that it could work again?

With a sigh, Ruby reluctantly agreed. "If that's what you think, Geralt...so what now?"

"For now, we wait until dark." Geralt took out a cruet filled with a blue fluid from his pocket and poured its contents on his silver sword. He handed the vial to Ruby. "Here, put this on your scythe," he commanded.

"What is it?"

"It's an oil. Werewolves hate it."

Ruby took the vial, drew her silver scythe, and applied the oil to the blade.

* * *

It was midnight now, and the two hunters have long finished their preparations. Geralt downed a dose of Cat, a potion that let him see better in the dark, while Ruby put on a head lamp, stowed somewhere on her person. Inside the cavern were the werewolf, accompanied by three wolves, which spotted them and alerted the werewolf. "Silver, now!" Geralt barked as he drew his silver sword, the blade hissing out of its sheath. Ruby unholstered the silver scythe and unfolded it. "Take care of those wolves! I'll handle the werewolf!"

"Right!" The two then charged at their adversaries. Ruby zipped over to one of the wolves with her semblance and impaled its ribs. The wolf collapsed, its breathing laboured, considering she stabbed it right in the lung. Meanwhile, Geralt clashed with the werewolf. He performed a pirouette, and slashed at its chest. The werewolf snarled at the witcher, and returned it with a claw to his own chest as well. Geralt rolled to its side to try and get a better angle on it. Two hard swings of the sword, one to the leg, the other to its side. The werewolf turned to its adversary, and brought its fists down on Geralt. He backstepped the attack, and sliced its chest once more with a mid-air spin.

She turned her attention to the other two wolves. One wolf pounced at her, but she sidestepped. She charged at the wolf that had tried to pounce her, only to have the other one pounce on her back. Ruby immediately reacted, jabbing the wolf off her back with her scythe's handle. The beast whimpered as it fell on its back; Ruby turning to it, and stabbed it right in the heart. Ruby turned towards the last wolf, and using her semblance, ran towards it, catching its torso on the curve of her blade, and bisected it. With the wolves taken care of, she turned to help Geralt, who had just casted the Igni sign, the wall of flame setting the werewolf on fire, who started struggling to put it out.

The two began their respective attacks, slashes and stabs from sword and scythe rent the werewolf's flesh like it was going through a meat grinder. The creature howled in pain, and in its rage, took a swipe at Ruby. It managed to hit her scythe, knocking it out of her hands. It poised to strike her when she was distracted, but Geralt managed to stun it with the Axii sign. As she scrambled to pick up her scythe, Geralt resumed on the offensive with a quick slash at its neck, however, he missed and cut its shoulder. The werewolf snapped out of its trance and growled at the witcher. It did not expect Ruby to shoot at it with Crescent Rose. Two shots to the gut, and three to the leg. The werewolf fell to its side, and Geralt raised his sword...

"Noooo! Stop! Don't harm him!" The woman from earlier appeared again, from the entrance of the cave.

"What?!" Ruby cried out.

"Think we need to talk," said Geralt.

"It's Niellen!" she cried out, and knelt before the creature.

"Lycanthropy can afflict anyone. But it is a curse, so sorry, but I have to-"

"You don't understand! I love him! He was near to bein' mine, till you two came along! Go away! Leave us be!" Geralt and Ruby glanced at each other. That nagging suspicion the two had on that woman was confirmed. Geralt decided to press on the matter.

"Not till I find out what's going on here."

"I love him, always have. Even after I'd learned his secret."

Niellen grunted. "You...you knew? Did you know I shut meself in here to wait out me change?"

"I knew and I didn't mind. But you chose Hanna. I wanted her to see you. I wanted her to fear you. She'd not have stayed. And we could be together."

"You brought her here...that night. 'Twas the reason I had the taste of blood in me mouth come morn."

"I did it for us! She was to see you turn, naught more! I didn't want her death, you've got to believe me!"

Niellen growled. "I don't. And I'll kill you willingly. First time for that, in fact." The woman's eyes widened.

Ruby could not believe what just unfolded. Her mind was going a mile a minute. She was touched, she was confused, she was disgusted, she was shocked. It was frustrating, but she couldn't think of what to say. What should she do? She found herself looking at her scythe. Can she do it? Should she do it? Her heart raced, she knew that they didn't have a lot of time. Is it right for them to intervene?

"You won't kill anyone. Ever again."

Niellen growled.

"No! Don't hurt him!" the woman shouted.

"Get out of here before I change my mind. Run!" Geralt answered as the woman fled. He turned his attention to the werewolf, which was standing on its hind legs now, ready to strike at the hunters.

That was quickly remedied by five bullets to the chest. With a whimper, the werewolf fell to the ground, and a pool of blood flowed from under the corpse. Ruby had a look of confusion when Geralt took out a knife and an assortment of vials. She decided to press on the matter. "Geralt? What are you doing?"

"Monster parts can make for good crafting materials and alchemical reagents," he replied as he kept working. Ruby shuddered at the thought. All the more reason to not try one of his potions. Geralt found a key on Niellen's corpse, and the two left the cave. Geralt whistled for Roach, Ruby immediately hopping on the mare's back as she arrived, while Geralt went inside the shack and took everything he thought to be valuable.

* * *

"Where to now?" Ruby asked as Geralt hopped on and squeezed his calves together, signalling Roach to start moving.

"Now, we head to Crow's Perch. See what this Baron business is about," he replied.

The ride continued in silence. As they left Blackbough, they spotted an old woman on the side of the road crying out for help. Geralt stopped to see what the matter was.

"Help an old, feeble woman?" she asked.

"What's wrong?" he replied.

"T'other night blasphemers - pox take them! - profaned the shrine to Verna the Merciful. Shrine's gotta be repaired, else Verna'll take umbrage! Our cows'll croak, kiddies'll be covered in warts and our dogs'll get the mange!" she proclaimed, as Geralt glanced at the wooden statue. It was a somewhat crude carving of what looked like an old hag hunched over, and from the looks of it, she was either quite fat or pregnant.

"Warts and mange? Sounds dangerous. Fine, I'll help you," he replied. Ruby giggled at his response. And with that, Geralt grasped the head of the statue and put it back upright. "Done," he called out.

"The good gods have sent ye to me! Someone to repair their shrines from this day on!" she cried out.

"Look, already got a trade - I'm a witcher. Restoring traditional roadside structures in wood - just not my specialty."

"Fightin' evil - that's a witcher's callin'! And vandals're worse than beasts!"

"Fine. I see any damaged shrines, I'll take care of 'em. Won't go out of my way, though."

"Nothin's outta the way in these parts. And the gods'll guide ye!" and on that note, the lady started praying to the statue. Geralt got on Roach, and they were on the road again. Ruby spoke up once more as they approached the keep.

"How did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"How did you make the decision to let the lady live so quickly?"

"Are you saying we shouldn't have saved her?"

"N-no, but..." Ruby tried to continue, but came up with nothing.

"We're here," Geralt stated, as they approached a wooden bridge to the keep, with two guards standing in front of it. "Let's see what this Bloody Baron had to do with Ciri."

* * *

A/N: I read this fic called "Professor Torchwick" a long time ago, and I saw in the author's notes that the author believed that Ruby was the kind of person who sees things in black and white. Upon further reflection, I think he/she was right. So, this basically made Ruby in an ethical situation...challenging to write. Add lazy to that and you have that big ol' delay.

Sorry about that.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

 **Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY or the Witcher games or books.**

* * *

The two guards paid little mind to the pair that just entered their keep. The wooden bridge creaked with every footstep Geralt and Ruby took. As they entered through the gate, Ruby spotted two posters on their left. The first one was familiar, it was that poster that was at Hendrik's basement; a missing poster for one Tamara Strenger. The second one was of a similar topic; this time, the portrait was of an older woman, with shoulder-length hair, with a bit of a look of conceit in her face. It appeared that this Anna Strenger was missing as well. She could see the resemblance. Mother and daughter? She decided not to worry about it for now.

They approached a gate with four guards standing in front of it. One of them, a fat shaven fellow bellowed out, "Halt! Who goes there?"

"Baron home?" Geralt asked.

"Depends who's asking."

"A witcher. Wanna talk to him."

"Hmph, yeah. And I wanna plough the lovely Queen Cerro."

Another guard, one with a moustache and a helmet piped up. "Seen this man before. Inn at the Crossroads. You was there not so long ago. Thought you went on your separate way, nice and all. Though I remember you being alone," he said.

"She's with me. Anyway, my separate way led me here. Gotta talk to the baron."

The pudgy one responded. "Oh, aye? What about?"

"Something important. His ears only."

"Fine," the moustachioed guard responded. "Lodrin, let 'em in. If they make any trouble...well, we outnumber 'em."

Lodrin turned away from the pair and ordered the gate to be opened. As the gate rose, he bellowed out once more. "Sergeant! Ardal! Witcher and lass to see the baron!" He turned to Geralt. "Don't want no disturbances, that clear?"

"What do you think?" he replied, and walked past them towards the sergeant. He gestured the pair to follow him.

"Guard called you a sergeant. You a Temerian soldier?" Geralt asked.

"Not your concern, mate," the sergeant answered.

"Deserter?"

"Temerian army don't exist no more." As they walked, they passed by a dwarf wearing a white bandanna on his head, hammering away at something on an anvil. Ruby stared at him work, failing to notice a blonde woman with a dissatisfied look on her face in the background. Noticing that she had fallen behind, she ran over to Geralt's side. The sergeant had led him to a garden, with flowers of different shapes, sizes and colours thrived.

"In Vizima, now those were balls!" a large bearded man said. "Attended a few, me and my Annie! Oh, how we danced. How we twirled!" He laughed as he took a nearby woman who was sweeping by the hand and started waltzing with her. She cried out in surprise, and they danced, the man counting the steps out loud.

"Enough," said a man in black and gold armor. "I don't care how you do it, but the deliveries must be weekly."

"Won't you stay for tea?" the large man asked.

The plated man shook his head. "No. Besides, you've another guest." And with that, he and his two soldiers left them. Geralt and Ruby approached the baron. "Look at that," he stated. "Didn't even stay for tea. In spite of all that blabberin' about how cultured the nation is..."

Geralt spoke up. "I'm-"

"I know who you are, I believe I also know why you've come. As for the girl..."

"She's with me."

The baron shrugged. "We'll talk inside," he said, gesturing for the two to follow him.

* * *

The two were led to a room whose walls were made of brick. Each wall had at least one painting on it. "Make yourselves at home. Now where'd I put the bloody vodka?" the baron wondered as he sifted through a table. His hand wrapped itself around a green bottle. "Ah, there it is. A snifter?"

Geralt shrugged. "Why not?"

The baron chuckled. "Hah! A man after me own heart." He uncorked the bottle and poured the vodka in two wooden shotglasses. He gasped a little. "Oh, how could I forget. Would you like a glass, little one?"

"Uh...no thanks. I'll just have some water..." Ruby responded. He complied, and filled a third larger glass with water.

"Hm. With Foltest dead and Natalis's whereabouts unknown...bloody hell, what's a loyal Temerian to drink to, anyway?"

"How about himself and his friends?" Ruby asked.

"Going to have to agree with her on this one," Geralt stated.

"Good enough. You're a smart lass," the baron replied, and the three raised their glasses and took their respective drinks. Geralt and the baron drank quickly, as was the purpose of the shotglass, and slammed their cups on the desk, as Ruby took more conservative sips.

"To the matter at hand," the baron continued. "I'm Phillip Strenger, though the blobtits 'round here call me the Bloody Baron."

"Ruby Rose. What are blobtits?" The baron laughed at her introduction. She chuckled nervously, and went back to nursing her water.

"Geralt of Rivia. Blobtits call me the Butcher of Blaviken."

A scratching record played in Ruby's head as she coughed, choking on her water a little. Did he just say he was called the _Butcher_ of Blaviken?

"I said already - I know who you are. Truth be told, it's the only reason we're talking," Phillip responded. "How do you like it here in Velen?"

"Lovely place. Swamps, bogs, marshes everywhere..."

Ruby groaned internally. Of all the places she had to land in, she had to be this close to a swamp.

"Exactly...someone loses their way 'round here, he becomes damn hard to find."

"What are you getting at?"

"Many have lost loved ones here. Some their wives, others their daughters...

"Get to the point already."

"Ciri. That's why you've come. isn't it?"

"So she was here," Geralt answered back, leaning on the desk.

"She showed up some time ago - exhausted, wounded, and stinkin' like a soaked hound after a hard hunt. Later I'd heard she'd come from the swamp...said some beasts from the woods attacked her before she could reach the village..."

The baron told the two the story of how Ciri found her way from the woods, how she kept a werewolf from tearing into a villager, how she guided Gretka through the woods, and how she had arrived at Crow's Perch.

"So I ordered my men to watch her and left her to rest."

"And?" Geralt and Ruby simultaneously asked.

"Ahhh, a topic for another time."

"What?!" Ruby cried out. "But-"

"Hold it, Ruby. He won't be giving this information for free."

"Sharp, you are," Phillip stated. I regret your loss, commiserate. But you see, it so happens that my wife and daughter are missing as well. I propose an exchange - find my loved ones, and I shall tell you about the girl you seek. All I know."

"Fine. We'll help you. We'll find your family, but then you'll give us every bit of information you have," Geralt replied.

"You have my word." The baron whistled, and a guard appeared at the door. "Guard! These two are under my protection. No one's to bother 'em - in any way." With a nod, the guard disappeared back into the hallway. Geralt glanced at Phillip, much to his displeasure.

"Don't stare - I've not grown horns. Treat it as a token of my good faith."

"When did you last see them?" Ruby asked.

"They vanished, after the new moon, as if whisked away by shadows."

"What do you mean, 'vanished?'" Geralt questioned.

"Precisely that. I awoke one morn to find them gone."

"I'll need to know a lot more than that. Can we see their rooms?" Geralt asked.

"What for?"

"I need clues, anything to latch onto."

"I'll not let strangers paw through their belongings," Phillip responded, his tone that of irritation.

"Want us to find them or not?"

"I do."

"Then let us work."

The baron sighed. "Fine. But I shall go with you. The doors are locked." He stood up from his chair, and led the two hunters to the rooms.

"When she was a babe, my daughter loved animals," the baron said. "Saw a deer trophy on a wall once. Do you know what she asked?"

"Haven't got a clue," Geralt answered.

"Papa, is that deeh's wump on the other side of the wall?" he retorted, and he and Ruby started laughing.

"You see it there? Whoahoho! What a trophy! Hahaha..."

"I pity any bastard who's hurt her...I'll flay 'em alive," he said with a vengeful tone.

They stopped at a door, and Philip started pounding on it. "Here it is," he proclaimed. "Oh dammit, jammed again." He managed to open the door for the duo. "Our bedchamber. Tamara's room is there," he declared. "Try not to make a mess. For their return, I want everything to be as they left it." He stayed outside the room and closed the door to let the witcher do his business.

"Right then. Ruby, this will be your first lesson," Geralt announced.

"Huh? Why are we having a lesson here? There's not enough room to spar in, and we can't make a mess," Ruby replied.

"What?"

"Aren't you going to teach me those witcher moves?"

"No. Not yet, anyway. In our line of work, fighting is going to be half the job. The first half will be investigating."

"Oh."

"For this part of the job, you must be able to find clues, details, whether it's monster tracks or anything that's out of place. I'll teach you how to track later. The question for now is 'What's off about this room?'"

Ruby took a look around. Her eyes laid on a wooden candelabrum on a wine-stained table. She noticed that one leg was missing. "How about this," she called out. "This thing's supposed to have three legs, right?"

"Right. The stem's broken. Anything else?"

She started walking further into the room. She noticed a rectangular shape on a wall. Something used to be there, that's for sure. "Look at that wall. Looks like something was moved from there. My guess is that painting over there used to be here."

"Very good. Let's see...the baron and his wife. Looks happy enough," Geralt commented, and he took the painting off the divider, revealing a sizable hole.

"I wonder what made that hole..." Ruby said.

"Good. You're asking the right questions. I'm also concerned with why it had to be hidden and what's on the other side."

Ruby walked over on the other side of the divider. A wardrobe stood in front of the hole. Ruby opened the door, revealing a piece of wood inside. "I think I found the stem on the candlestick," she called out. "Yep, this is definitely from that candlestick."

Geralt started thinking. A broken candlestick. A hole in the wall. It all added up. "A fight probably happened here. We have to keep looking for clues."

Ruby started scanning the room once more. She noticed a scratch on a post. "Hey, I found these scratches on this post!"

"Deep nicks. Hit with a heavy object," Geralt commented.

He walked back to the table to look at the candlestick once more. "Rest of the candlestick, and wine stains. Someone broke a bottle." He sniffed the wine. "From Toussaint. Yeah, Ervelusce. Scent hasn't died. I wonder where this leads...Ruby, follow me. We're going to follow my nose." And with that, the two left the room. The scent carried off to the stairwell. "Damn, trail breaks off. Could find something else, though." He spotted a talisman on the floor. "Hm. Spruce wood. Smells of juniper berries. Folk talisman. Made to protect against something."

"What does it protect against?" Ruby asked.

"That's the question. I don't think we can find much else here."

"What about that room over there?" Ruby asked, pointing to a door in between two trophies, one with a deer skull on it.

"Well then, let's see."

They entered the room. A desk was in the middle of it, with bookshelves behind it and to its right, and a closet. There is also a fireplace to the left of the desk. Ruby walked to a shelf, and noticed a sheet of paper on it. "Found a letter," she called out. "Something about fighting evil."

"That could be a clue. Keep it."

Geralt opened the closet, finding a key and some incense.'That's incense,' he thought, and took a whiff. "Follow me," he ordered, and tracked the scent of the incense.

The scent led them to the basement, into one of the storerooms. It led to a locked door, which Geralt opened with the key found in the closet.

"Whoa..." Ruby said, and they saw an altar with numerous candles and a brazier burning in front of them.

"An altar," Geralt commented. "So, the Eternal Fire's made it to Velen."

"Eternal Fire?" Ruby asked.

"A cult. Hates anything that isn't human."

* * *

"Done pokin' around?" the baron asked as the two approached him.

"Recognize this amulet?" Geralt questioned, showing the trinket to the baron.

"Hmm...yes. Anna began wearing it a time ago..."

"Any idea where she got it?"

The baron shook his head. "None."

"Any witches or cunning women in the area?"

"A pellar. Old coot lives near Blackbough. And there's a cunning woman in Midcopse, but I know little about her - she's only recently arrived." That response raised Ruby's eyebrow. "If Anna were to see someone," he continued. "She'd choose the pellar, not the woman. Anna was wary of strangers, newcomers."

"Oughta have a chat with this pellar," Geralt responded.

"Fair warning - this man's hard to talk to. Rumour has it he killed his own father with an axe as a lad, then went batty. Now they say he sees ghosts and ploughs his goat."

"Not really interested in his hobbies. Just want to ask about the amulet." On that note, Phillip left the two.

"So what now? We find this pellar guy?" Ruby asked.

"After we take a look at the room Ciri stayed in," Geralt replied, and the two headed for the guest room.

* * *

The first thing Ruby saw in the room were clothes. There was a white shirt, stained with blood on the left shoulder. "Hey Geralt, do you think Ciri might have worn these?"

"Probably. Looks like she left in a hurry," he replied. He spotted something in the corner of the room, next to a bed. He picked the object up. 'A spinning top,' he thought to himself. 'Gretka's toy.'

Ruby spotted a book on a desk, reading the title out loud. "The Natural Obscurity of Curses by Lydia von Bredevoort."

"Let me see that," Geralt commanded, and Ruby passed the book to him. He opened the cover to find something written on the front page. "To my dear friends Phillip and Anna - from Count la Guevre, Minister of Culture for the Kingdom of Temeria. Vizima, 1265. Hm. Seems they had friends in high places in Vizima. But why would Ciri have this?" He kept the book. "Come on, let's go find Gretka."

"The little girl Ciri helped out?"

"Right. I found a toy in the corner of the room. She might know something." The two went for the kitchen; the baron having mentioned that he let her stay there. They found a girl with long brown hair, tied in a braid, hanging over her left shoulder. She was on a chair. Geralt approached her, and said "So you're Gretka..."

"I am. And you're Geralt!" she responded. "Who's she?"

"I'm Ruby!" she answered with a smile.

"Ciri told me about him, but not you."

"That's because Ciri hasn't met me yet. Anyway, you and Ciri talked a bit, huh?"

"We did."

"Did she say where she was going? Or what she came here to look for?" Geralt asked.

Gretka turned to Geralt and responded, "She said she was looking for you and a sorceress. But you're here, so I guess she didn't find you. I wonder if she helped that friend of hers..."

"Ciri wanted to help a friend?" Geralt asked. "Any idea who it was?"

"What do you mean who? Her friend! She said he was in trouble and she had to save him."

Geralt pulled out the top from his pocket and showed it to the girl. "Look familiar?"

"My top!" Gretka exclaimed. "Where'd you find it?"

"Ciri's room."

"We'd play in her room sometimes. I was sad one day, and Ciri carved it for me. Such a shame she had to leave."

"Do you know where Ciri is?" Ruby asked.

"No. One day I brought her breakfast, and she was already gone. The baron told me she'd left," she answered, her voice downcast.

"Didn't ask where she'd gone?" Geralt questioned.

"I did, but he said I was too little and I wouldn't understand. But Ciri left me a gift."

"A gift?" Ruby asked.

"Yes, this. A green stone." Ruby's eyes widened as Gretka showed them Ciri's gift.

"Beautiful as gifts go," Geralt commented. "Hide it well, don't show it to anyone. It's worth a lot. Thanks Gretka, have fun."

"But I'm not playing, I'm helping," she said, and the hunters went off.

* * *

Geralt spotted a grindstone and an armorer's table near the entrance to the castle. He thought no one would probably mind if they use them. He unsheathed one of his swords and started sharpening it. As he worked, Ruby pulled out some strange tools, cylinders and a jar made of a material he couldn't recognize and placed them on the table. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"Hand loading," she replied.

"Hand...loading?"

"This is why I needed my cases back. Since this place doesn't have guns like mine yet, I have to reuse my own. I actually like hand loading; it saves me money, and I can make my bullets to what fits me the best."

"I see." The two resumed working on their armaments.

"Can we switch?" Ruby asked. "I wanna sharpen my scythes too."

"Fine with me." Now it was Ruby's turn on the grindstone, and Geralt set to work on the armorer's table. She sharpened her silver scythe first, then pulled out Crescent Rose. Some of the baron's guards were startled, but kept their distance. Needless to say, anyone who was thinking of "taking her out for a spin" was immediately repelled.

After some time, Geralt asked. "You done?"

"Yep. Let's go."

"Gonna stop by the blacksmith first; I want to check something out."

"Okay," she responded.

* * *

Geralt and Ruby approached the blacksmith. "How may I assist you?" the dwarf asked.

"Looking for someone who can craft me some armor. Gotta be top quality," Geralt answered.

"Well, I've been at it for twenty years now. Mastered the craft in some respects, if I do say so myself.

A blonde woman standing behind the dwarf scoffed, "You wish," she grumbled.

"Don't listen to her," the dwarf said. "She's been sore lately, snortin' every chance she gets. So, what kind of armor are we talkin' about?"

"Light, but durable. Can't constrain movement, and I gotta be able to get in it without anybody's help."

"That all? Sure it shouldn't be self-cleanin'? And how about it wipe your arse after ye take a shite in the bushes?"

"Sounds great," Geralt replied sarcastically. "Can you make a suit like that?" Ruby chuckled at his response and somehow found herself thinking of how to make such features work.

"No, but find someone who can, and I'll gladly meet 'em. Ought to know one thing when it comes to armour; if it's gotta be durable, it can't be light."

"It can," the blonde woman interjected. "Just needs the proper tools to make it. Tools like the folk of Clan Tordarroch used on Undvik.

"She's right," Ruby added. "where I'm from, we have light, durable armour made of stuff we call Kevlar. You can shoot someone with Kevlar on and they'll survive it easy!"

"See? Even the lass agrees with me!"

The dwarf turned towards the woman. "Yoana, I told you time and again to stay silent when I talk to customers. Shouldn't pester folk with those nonsense Skellige legends o' yours."

"It ain't legend, and it ain't nonsense," the woman now known as Yoana responded. "My granddad would go to Undvik for his armour, said Tordarroch folk make the best. Till last year, that is, when a giant ravaged their island. Inhabitants either ran off or died, but the forge should still be in one piece.

Geralt was intrigued. "Worth looking into," he said. "Say I find the tools, will you craft the armour for me?"

The dwarf cleared his throat. "On condition you bring the tools. But only then."

"Do the legends tell where the forge is?" Ruby asked.

"Yes, north side of the isle, in a cave. Clan folk carved out a rock face to build it."

"That's so cool," she whispered.

"Look for the tools next time I'm in Skellige. Take care now," Geralt said. After that, the blacksmith resumed his business. Yoana however, approached Ruby. "Thanks for backing me up with Fergus. What's your name?" she asked. After the introduction, the two started talking about the crafting of equipment. Meanwhile, Geralt bought another map regarding the Cat School and perused the notice board, which had notices of fistfights, contracts and horse races, all of which intrigued Geralt. After he had read through the notices, Ruby caught up to him.

"Ready to go, Geralt?"

"Always. Right then, we have lots to do," he responded. He whistled for Roach, and the two rode off for their next task.

* * *

 **A/N: I've realized that I'm not going to bother writing about some of the sidequests (e.g. collecting Gwent cards from players, horse races, fistfights) unless something special happens. Trust me, with these sidequests, something unique _will_ happen for them. Now those, I'm going to actually write about. Just assume that Geralt wins. It's how I played when I kept losing at the first horse race during my first playthrough. Save, race, lose, load, race, etc. until I win.**

 **As always, R &R. Constructive criticism is always welcome.**


End file.
